Educate me on 'High Zinc Content' motor oil

[94BULLITT]

To answer your orginal question, Valvline premium blue is a very good 15w40, better than most 5w40.

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/TDR57_Oil.pdf

 

[dragoneggs]

You are right. I think it was in 2006 they updated some VCT. They may be some small updates in later years.

What does the paper work that came with the engine say use for oil?

15w40 High Zinc content. Suggested Delo 400 or Rotella T.

Once I got home and looked it up I realize that isn't specific. Again probably doesn't matter but the differences in zinc content vary greatly even within Delo 400. And further reading suggests that the higher the zinc, the harder on catalytic converters. So, I don't want overkill and this isn't a race car engine. And yes, I need to go back to the shop and ask a few more questions now that I have a little more education on high zinc oils. Operative word is 'little'. Just trying to learn here. My guess is that that it doesn't matter that much, as compared to oil change frequency, but an inquiring mind wants to know.

 

[ultrarunner]

My Smog guy is adamant high zinc motor oil will eventually poison the catalytic converter...

 

[dragoneggs]

My Smog guy is adamant high zinc motor oil will eventually poison the catalytic converter...

I suppose that is why some suggest to use only for break-in period. But I'm being told I need to use for life of the engine... well at least as long as the warranty 5yr/50K mi.

 

[ultrarunner]

The oil is good... very good for the motor mechanicals... just not good for the Sensors and Cat...

The Engineer that explained it to me said the same properties that make for a good protective shield are detrimental when it coats sensors and CAT pellets...

 

[Copperhead]

Copperhead--that's a lot of good info there. How consistent in the resistance to flow of the label rating for oils? Are the resistance to flow numbers just sort of a guesstimate because they are widely variable or are they pretty much reliable? Are some more accurate than others? Are they generally accurate and do they change with mileage on the oil?

I wonder this because of the oil pressure numbers I see with various oils in various states of use in my vehicles. The synthetics seem more predictable and the dino often has lower pressure on the high end than when the oil was fresher. This is all new to me so I'm kind of slow on the lingo but hopefully learning something. Oil is far more specific than I thought.

The primary reason that you see pressure variances as oil is used, especially with conventional, is that all oils have a NOACK, or burn off vaporization rate and varying levels of shearing that can go on that will cause an oil to change viscosity over time when used, or what is known as "going out of grade". It generally is not much of a concern unless it becomes extreme.

Like most things, fitting into a classification is not an exact number. It is within a given range. So you can find, say, a 5w30 in one brand that isn't an exact replica of a 5w30 in another brand. But they are both 5w30's in that they fall within the range of that classification. For a XXw30 oil to be classified as such, it must fit inside a viscosity range of 9.3cST to 12.5cST at 100C. A XXw40 will have a range of 12.5cST to 16.3cSt at 100C. A XXw20 will have a range of 5.6cST to 9.3cST at 100C. All oils, out of the bottle, will generally fall in the middle somewhere of their classification, but not all oils right on the exact same number.

 

[ultrarunner]

Growing up Dad knew this old guy who was quite a character... heart of gold but surviving on a shoestring budget.

He made money with his old flatbed truck... hauling mostly.

He only ran Used Motor Oil in his truck... not reprocessed... but used as in what I had just drained from my truck...

His old 1960 truck would just run the city streets... maybe 35 was as fast as I imagine and always loaded to the gills on dump runs... used oil, used tires, batteries from the wrecking yard, etc...

I guess I was recycling motor oil before it became popular...

 

[Copperhead]

To answer your orginal question, Valvline premium blue is a very good 15w40, better than most 5w40.

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/TDR57_Oil.pdf

I took a look over at the Petroleum Quality Institute of America website and Valvoline PB 15w40 falls right in the average along with Delvac 15w40, Rotella T 15w40, and Delo 15w40. Nothing exciting I see with Valvoline. Actually, the Rotella has a much higher level of Calcium in the add pack which is the basis of a strong detergent quality along with acid neutralization. But compared to the other HDEO's, VPB is average. Even house brands like Rural King, Love's Travel Center, and such fall into the same general average.

And given the NOACK rating of the VPB 15w40, I would find it hard to accept that it is better than most synthetics. The NOACK level of VPB tilts on the high side. Lower is better for NOACK. Compare all of these. They are so similar it is almost like they came from the same place.

Valvoline Premium Blue SAE 15W-4 API CJ-4/SM

Shell Rotella T SAE 15W-4 API CJ-4/SM

Mobil Delvac 13 Super SAE 15W-4 API CJ-4/SM

Rural King SAE 15W-4 API CJ-4/SM Heavy Duty Diesel

http://www.pqiadata.org/Loves15W40.html

 

[dragoneggs]

I took a look over at the Petroleum Quality Institute of America website and Valvoline PB 15w40 falls right in the average along with Delvac 15w40, Rotella T 15w40, and Delo 15w40. Nothing exciting I see with Valvoline. Actually, the Rotella has a much higher level of Calcium in the add pack which is the basis of a strong detergent quality along with acid neutralization. But compared to the other HDEO's, VPB is average.

So which Rotella T? Seems there are a handful, T3, T4, T5, T6

 

[Copperhead]

The comparison is the 15w40 that was mentioned. 94BULLITT mentioned VPB 15w40 conventional, so in fairness, I only compared to other 15w40 conventionals. Unlike some, I don't try some slight of hand card trick and compare unequal things.